


You're not a God

by SonnyGoten



Series: You remind me of my humanity [1]
Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, DC Extended Universe, Justice League (2017), Man of Steel (2013)
Genre: Bruce Wayne cares about Clark Kent, Gen, Post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Post-Justice League (2017), Superman needs Clark Kent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-09-14 05:37:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16907118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonnyGoten/pseuds/SonnyGoten
Summary: "You're not a God, Clark."---A few weeks after Superman's return from death, Bruce reminds Clark of his humanity.





	You're not a God

He was sitting on that bench looking up at that ridiculous statue of Superman again.

Bruce Wayne sighed as he made his way over to the other man. "You've been coming here for several weeks now, Kent," he said as he plopped down next to the alien. "Don't tell me you're so enamoured with yourself that you can't take your eyes off it."

Clark let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head, but he did not respond to Bruce's jab.

"If you're not pulling a Narcissus, then what is it?" Bruce tried to be nonchalant about the question he asked.

"I just... I don't think I can live up to this," Clark confessed, keeping his gaze upon the statue.

Bruce let his own eyes travel up to the intimidating figure that looked over them. Cut in straight lines, the tall masterpiece resembled the Gods of Greek and Roman mythologies more than they did the bespectacled man sitting next to him.

_Ah... so that was what bothered the other man._

"You're not a God, Clark." Bruce turned to give the other man an earnest look. "Before you became Superman, you were Clark Kent, Kansas farm boy and Daily Planet paparazzi."

That small dig got Bruce the attention he wanted.

Clark turned to him with a sullen pout and said: " _News_ reporter, not paparazzi."

Bruce brushed the reporter's protest aside with a flourish wave of his hand. "All journalists are the same to me," he commented airily, "but that's not the point I'm making here." Suddenly, the facade of carelessness the man had cloaked himself in pulled back like a curtain to reveal the Dark Knight's shadows underneath, "What I'm trying to say is, you should be careful not to become the mask you wear. You do not want to walk that path."

Clark narrowed his eyes as he silently observed the nighttime vigilante. "You say that as if you're speaking from experience."

The man abruptly turned his head away from Clark. "I am," he said stiffly. Then, more gently, as he returned to the initial subject at hand, "Returning from death must have been a big confusing ordeal for you. I think going back to your roots might help you clear up that confusion, Clark."

In that moment, something within Clark's mind shifted. It was as if Bruce Wayne had lifted the veil of death from his eyes and showed him what he had been missing all this time. His roots, his humanity... he had forgotten about being Clark Kent in his quest to be the hero he thought the world needed him to be.

The nighttime vigilante stood up and glanced over his shoulder to give Clark one last look. He spoke in a murmur so soft that it could not be heard over the loud noises of a bustling city without super-hearing, "Superman is _nothing_ without Clark Kent."

In the blink of an eye, Bruce Wayne's facade of the careless playboy billionaire was pulled back firmly in place, hiding any traces of the Dark Knight's shadows. He continued on his path, leaving the alien to find the Clark Kent he had left behind.


End file.
